- The first students will start the Nursing Studies (Registered Nurse Mental Health Nursing) BSc (Hons) course in September 2025
- The course has now been formally approved in writing by the Nursing and Midwifery Council, the governing body for the profession
- The course was designed in collaboration with clinical practice partners and people who have used mental health services.
Aston Medical School’s new mental health nursing programme, BSc (Hons) Nursing Studies (Registered Nurse Mental Health Nursing) has been formally approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), the governing body for the profession.
The approval from the NMC signifies that the programme has met the required national standards for mental health nursing. In writing and designing the programme, Aston University teaching fellow and programme lead Sam Chapman alongside senior teaching fellow and programme lead Dr Jayne Murphy, worked with Aston University’s clinical practice partners, as well as with people who have accessed mental health services, either as a patient or carer, as an adult or as a child.
The NMC’s Quality Assurance Agency visited Aston University and the healthcare trusts the University is partnered with to scrutinise the programme’s design and ensure it met requirements, before issuing formal approval.
The programme was designed to ensure that the unique skills and knowledge required of a mental health nurse are developed right from the beginning. The programme explores mental health, mental illness and recovery as well as specialist mental health skills. Building compassionate relationships with people who access mental health services is integral to the profession and students learning on the course.
Clinical placements will be offered in all three years of the course for hands-on training, as well as simulated placements. These will provide students with an additional safe space to practice and develop skills alongside other students, exploring areas of mental health practice they might want to have more exposure to or support in. At the end of the second year, students will have the chance to do a negotiated placement, a non-assessed opportunity to explore an area of healthcare that is of personal interest. This could be working with a charity or experiencing healthcare in a different part of the country or world.
The programme was announced in May 2024, with applications opened for September 2025 entry. New students on the course can now be reassured that it has been approved by the governing body.
Sam Chapman, teaching fellow in nursing (mental health), said:
“It is a privilege to be able to work closely with students for three years, to shape their skills and confidence to become a registered nurse. We have designed the course to support students’ knowledge and skills so they can go on to be the mental health nurses that people need.
“We would like to thank our practice partners and all of the lived experience consultants and experts by experience who collaborated with us on designing this course for sharing their knowledge and lived experience so we can provide a mental health nursing course that meets the needs of practice and people during difficult times.”
For more information about the BSc in mental health nursing visit the webpage. Aston Medical School also offers Nursing Studies (Registered Nurse Adult Nursing).
- Notes to editors
About Aston University
For over 130 years, Aston University has been making our world a better place through education, research and innovation. Our history is intertwined with the remarkable city of Birmingham, once the heartland of the Industrial Revolution and now the thriving base for an innovation ecosystem of global significance, which Aston is co-creating.
Our vision is to be a leading university for science, technology and enterprise, measured by the positive transformational impact we achieve for our people, students, businesses and the communities we serve.
Aston focuses on high-quality, exploitable research that has an impact on society through medical breakthroughs, advancements in engineering, policy and practice in government, and the strategies and performance of business.
The university offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes, as well as continuing professional development solutions.
Thanks to its focus on delivering excellent outcomes for students, Aston University's reputation continues to grow. It was recognised as the Daily Mail University of the Year for Student Success 2025, is second in England for social mobility (2023 HEPI Social Mobility Index), and is top 20 for graduate salaries (2024 Longitudinal Education Outcomes).
Aston University is now defining its place in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (and beyond) within a rapidly changing world.
For media inquiries in relation to this release, contact Helen Tunnicliffe, Press and Communications Manager, on(+44) 7827 090240 or email:h.tunnicliffe@aston.ac.uk.
Be first to get the latest news, research and expert comment from Aston by following us on X.
Need an expert for your story? Browse ourexperts directory.